Wisconsin takes home race vs. MIT

Badgers blow by Engineers, win varsity eights by 35 seconds

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin took advantage of a rare opportunity to host a collegiate dual meet as it grabbed the team victory against MIT Saturday morning on Lake Mendota. The 12th-ranked Badgers entered two varsity eights against the Engineers' top boat, while Wisconsin's fours raced against each other earlier.

"It's just great for the team to finally be able to have a home race after four or five years of no races here, and I'm really grateful to MIT for coming out," said head coach Erik Miller after the race. "It's really nice to have an event here at the Porter Boathouse."

The Badgers' 'A' boat bested MIT by almost 35 seconds, finishing the 2,000-meter course near the Memorial Union Terrace with a time of 6:46.66 to Tech's 7:20.7. Wisconsin's 'B' boat finished in between in 6:56.1.

Wisconsin's top boat nearly doubled its margin of victory over MIT from the last time the two teams met at the Knecht Cup two weeks ago, when the Badgers won by almost 18 seconds.

"I think that the races went pretty well," Miller said. "We're starting to see some improvement based on the time that we've had on the water now, so I was happy with the performance of the crews.

"We definitely have a very deep team, and I think we have some really talented people. It's just a matter of getting all of the best people in the boat and making sure that they are rowing to their maximum potential."